Car-coupling



(No Model.)

' J. MAOHENHEIME-R, Sr.

GAR COUPLING-,

Patented Aug. 8, 1893.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN MAGHENH'EIMER, SR, OF NAUVOO, ILLINOIS.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters I Patent No. 503,052, dated August 8, 1893. Application riled February 27, 1893. Serial No. 463,889. (No model.)

' class of car-couplings which are self-coupling,

and it consists in a combination of parts comprising an adjustable support for upholding the link in position to enter the opposing draw head, and a thrust bar Within the draw head which, when the opposing draw-head encounters the link, is thereby thrust backward into the draw-head. The bar carries or is provided with an arm which extends outward and to above or alongside the drawhead and it is adapted to uphold thecoupling-pin above the link, and when the bar is thrust inward as described the arm is withdrawn from the coupling pin, and when the pin is released it drops and engages with the link. The thrust bar referred to is springactuated, and as soon as the pressure upon,

the outer end of the thrust-bar is removed the spring acts to shift the thrust bar toward the outer end of the draw-head, thereby reinstating the parts in their original positions, all substantially as is hereinafter set forth and claimed, aided by the annexed drawings,

making part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of the improved coupling; Fig.2 a plan of the coupling; Fig. 3 a view similar to that of Fig. 1, but showing the draw-heads coupled and the parts accordingly adjusted; Fig. 4 a cross section on the line 4+4. of Fig; 3; and Fig. 5 a cross section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

The same letters of reference denote the same parts.

Only that portion of the coupling which is essential to an understanding of the improvement is exhibited.

A' and A represent the opposing drawheads. They, as well as the coupling pins B, B, and the coupling-link O, are of the usual construction saving as modified or supplemented by the improvement under consideration.

D represents a device for upholding the link in a proper position to enable it to enter Fig. 3. receive the outer end of the link-support when the opposing draw-head. It is adjustable so that it can be set out from the mouth of the draw-head sufficiently to sustain the link in the described position, and to be moved inward to be out of the way when the drawheads are being coupled. Its preferable form is shown, namely a rod shaped in the form of an elongated loop Whose sides (I, d, are held and adapted to be moved longitudinally in'bearings, a, a, in the draw-head, whose outer end, (P, constitutes the part upon which the link immediately rests, and Whose inner portion, (1 is turned downward to form a handle for the part, substantially as shown. The position of the link-support when moved outward is indicated in Figs. 1 and 2, and its position when withdrawn is indicated in The draw-head is recessed at a to in its withdrawn position.

E represents the thrust bar within the drawhead. Itis adapted to be moved longitudinally therein substantially as is indicated by its positions shown respectively in Figs. 1 and 3. A shoulder, e, at its outer end serves to limit the inward movement of the bar. F

represents the arm which is carried by the thrust-bar. It is connected with the thrustbar at or toward the inner end thereof, and preferably by means of the collar, f, to which the arm is fastened substantially as shown, and which in turn encircles the bar and is secured by means of a nut a, substantially as shown.

The draw-head is suitably slotted at a to provide for connecting the arm with the bar. A spring, G, arranged within the draw-head and pressing at its outer end against the thrust bar or some shoulder thereon, and at its inner end against some shoulder upon the draw head, acts to force the thrust bar outward whenever the inward pressure upon the thrust-bar is removed or overcome. The arm, F, extends over and toward the outer end of the draw head and so as to uphold thecoupling pin, B, when it is desired to sustain that part in position to be dropped through the coupling link. The preferable form of the arm, F, is shown. At its inner end it connects with the thrust-bar, or thrust-bar collar, in the immediate vicinity of the top of the draw-head, and thence the bar extends outward, rising sufliciently to come above the coupling pin when that part is down, and being made in the form of a spring and thereby adapted to be sprung against the up lifted coupling pin and to bear against the same with sufficient force to press the coupling pin sidewise against its bearing in the draw-head and thus be enabled to uphold the coupling pin above the link. The relative position of the thrust-bar and 0f the coupling pin, when the last named part is being upheld, is shown in the right-hand portion of Fig. 1. Other relative positions are shown in the left hand portion of Fig. 1 and in Fig. 3. Each draw-head is similarly equipped, the draw-head A having the link-support D, the thrust-bar E, the arm F, and the spring G, substantially as shown.

The operation of the mechanism is as follows: Suppose the link to be originally in the draw-head A; the coupling pin, B, is in position to confine the link, and the link-support D is moved outward, as in Figs. 1, 2 and 5, to sustain the link in a horizontal, or other suitable, position to enter the approaching draw-head A; in the last named draw-head the parts are adjusted to receive the link, the coupling pin, B, being upheld by reason of the pressure of the arm F; as the draw-heads come together the link being sustained by the thrust-bar of the draw-head A on encountering the thrust-bar, E, of the draw-head A, causes that thrust-bar to be forced backward into the draw-head sulhciently to disengage the arm F, from the coupling pin B, whereupon that coupling pin drops into engagement with the link and the coupling is thereby accomplished. Meanwhile the link-support D, of the draw-head A is thrust inward, and the link also more or less reacts against the thrustbar, E, in the draw head A, and the parts assume the position substantially as shown in Fig. 3. In this last named position the opposing draw-heads are in contact, but when the draw-heads are opened apart from each other suificiently to exert a tension upon the link the relative position of the movable parts of the coupling change somewhat. But the arms, when the coupling pins are down, are sufficiently above, or are otherwise properly shaped, not to interfere with the pins in any positions of the thrust-bars. In setting the coupling pin of a draw head which is to receive the link the pin is lifted, and the arm allowed to press against it substantially as shown in the right hand portion of Fig. 1.

I desire not to be restricted to the special form of arm, F, herein shown as a means for connecting the thrust-bar with the couplingpin when that part is uplifted. The spring, G, can also be variously constructed and adapted to exert an outward pressure upon the thrust bar.

I claim- 1. In a car-coupling, the combination of the draw-head, the adjustable link-support longitudinally adjustable and movable outward to uphold the link or inward to be out of the way of the opposing draw head, the link, the spring-actuated thrust-bar, the spring arm, and the pin, substantially as described.

2. In a car-coupling the combination of the draw-head, slotted as described, the springactuated thrust bar, the spring arm attached to said thrust bar, and the coupling-pin, said arm at its inner end being connected with said thrust-bar and extending thence outward and upward to bring its outer end above the coupling pin when that part is in engagement with the coupling link and below the head of the coupling pin when that part is uplifted to admit the coupling link, substantially as described.

Witness my hand this 6th day of February,

JOHN MACI'IENIIEIMER, SR. Witnesses:

C. D. MOODY, FRED MACHENHEIMER. 

